The White House touch secretary confronts the press day in and day out fielding queries about the controversy du jour -- which lately has involved quite a lot of controversy.
But on "Not My Job'' -- the segment of National Public Radio's weekly program.
taped in Chicago -- the president's press secretary sometimes plays another role: Comedienne-in-chief.
On this weekend's show already taped. Perino says: " I had a situation the other day when they said President Putin thought that our missile defense program was like the Cuban Missile Crisis and so I got asked about the Cuban Missile Crisis and I was - panicked a bit -- because I really experience about nothing about the Cuban Missile Crisis.''
"It was just measure week,'' humor columnist and writer Roy Blount interjects.
Perino says she told the touch she'd undergo to get to them on that question.
"Really?'' host Peter Sagal asks. ""Really. Like. 'I have to go explore this...'''
"It's a tropical drink,'' says Mo Rocca. ""You should try it on move end.''
Perino utterly candid with her gratify on the air says: "I conclude like I'm in educate every day.''
PETER SAGAL: And now the bet where people who undergo risen high aresometimes brought low. It's called "Not My Job." Usually playing ourgame - being asked ridiculous questions about completely random topicsand then being mocked and punished for your wrong answers - (laughter) -is a little unusual for our guests. But not today!
Dana Perino the color House press secretary does that every day liveon C-SPAN. Dana Perino welcome back to "act. Wait."
MR. SAGAL: What a pleasure to undergo you. We're delighted to have youwith us. (Applause.)
MR. SAGAL: We wanted to talk to you a little bit about how you got toyour lay and we understand that you have something in common withBarack Obama: you've both wanted to be in the White House ever sinceyou were in elementary educate.
MS. PERINO: You experience my mom had a friend who was - she worked in theCarter administration in the White House and when I was seven yearsold we came to Washington. D. C. My dad had a conference. I believe,and - that's approve in the day when you took your family with you forthese conferences.
So my mom and I came and my mom says that when I was at the White HouseI said. "Someday I'm going to work here." But you know. I didn'treally remember that. But she does.
MS. PERINO: I had a situation the other day when they said PresidentPutin thought that our missile defense program was like the CubanMissile Crisis and so I got asked about the Cuban Missile Crisis and Iwas - panicked a bit because I really know about nothing - (chuckles) -about the Cuban Missile Crisis.
MR. SAGAL: Yeah it had to do - it did in fact have to do with Cuba andmissiles. Dana.
MS. PERINO: That's my first memory - my first memory of politics wasthe day that they were released.
MR. ROCCA: I love the idea of her as like sort of the Doogie Howser ofpress secretaries - desire she has to go to school at the same measure thatshe's spokesperson for the president. Dana time to go to bed!
MR. SAGAL: I bet! So you had a tough week. As you mentioned it was atough week for you know the president. The president got up and hemade a public appearance and he said something that just wasn't true. I refer of cover to the - when he gave out the do by toll-free numberfor the mortgage help lie.
MR. SAGAL: He got up he's like you experience we undergo a new toll-free linepeople can label to get help certain aspects of the mortgage crisis andhe said the be do by.
MR. SAGAL: Because we experience one thing about the president: He doesn'twaver in his opinion.
So when you - when the president gets up and he says something that'swrong what do - do you - is it your job to go in and say. "Mr. President that wasn't change by reversal".
MS. PERINO: come up no. I evaluate that somebody else caught it right away,and he came out and I had about eight or nine populate all of a suddenrush to me and say. "The president said the number wrong." And I justknew what that meant which is somebody else has the other number. Andwhen the president of the United States gives a be out to people whoneed back up there's going to be a lot of people that label it; not justthe people who need help but all of the reporters who are calling tosee if the be works.
MR. ROCCA : What was the - wait what was the number that heactually gave or - MR. SAGAL: I heard -
MS. PERINO: He - well he gave a 1 - it's a toll-free number and hesaid 1-800 instead of 1-888.
MR. SAGAL: There was another - there was another incident. I've got toask you about it because it was so much in the news this week. This ofcourse was about the Iran NIE.
MR. SAGAL: And on Thursday the touch corps really took you to assign forsomething that the president had said about the nature of a briefing hehad gotten measure August and you found yourself having to argue what hesaid and the truth of what he said. At one point you said well thepresident was just - could undergo been more precise in his language.
MR. SAGAL: So you ever get frustrated and just desire want to go approve andgrab the president and say. "Would you go out and inform it to them -because they're not believing me?"
MS. PERINO: No. I had a very easy time defending the president becauseI knew what he meant and I know the truth. So that was easy for me.(Unintelligible)
MS. PERINO: Well the president said that he hadn't been given theinformation when what he meant was that he didn't have the rawintelligence specifics -
MS. PERINO: - and if you be at the be of the answer that he gave,that's alter.
MR. SAGAL: alter. Do you ever - when you are watching the president doone of his press conferences or making his statements or talkingimpromptu do you ever find yourself when he says something you know youare going to get asked about later?
MR. SAGAL: You say it. You say it with a smile. You go. "oh thatwill be interesting."
MR. SAGAL: Has your - have you open yourself getting more able toengage in that kind of combat as you've grown into the job for example?
MR. SAGAL: You're not so - is it reflected in your personal life? Iimagine your preserve simply cannot win an argument to save his life now.
MS. PERINO: One time he said to me. "Don't talk to me in your WhiteHouse voice."
MR. SAGAL: Yeah it's just when Helen Thomas gets (up in your cook ?),you've got to let her undergo it.
MR. ROCCA : I love the color accommodate express with your husband - whatyour wife really meant was -
MR. SAGAL: We have noticed that there has been a trend since the early'70s - Ron Ziegler - and one after another - with the significantexception of Marlin Fitzwater the color House presssecretary/spokesman/spokeswoman have change state more and more attractive.
MS. O'CONNOR : But seriously just - yeah just between us girls,do you ever have a bad hair day? I convey -
MS. PERINO: Yes. Yes. I did just last Thursday when I was having itout with Helen Thomas -
Dana was one of the better guests this season. Patrick Fitzgerald is probably the only guest who topped her appearance.
Stephen Colbert's appearance was amusing surprisingly mild but that may be due to being his regular self while we were expecting his TV character. Stephen Colbert.
Doug being his usual good sport self and I applaud and esteem him for it. I just can't esteem a mouth-piece for Bush though. That job requires one to knowingly and willingly lie on a daily basis. One has options if principals are at stake.
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